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Oceanographic Conditions of Bowhead Whale Habitat

Update

Archived PolarConnect Event: Lisa Seff and her team held a great webinar Friday, 7 September 2012 that explained her experience in Barrow, Alaska and the science project. Feel free to catch the archive in the PolarConnect Archives.

What Are They Doing?

Bowhead whales in the Chukchi Sea
The research team worked out of Barrow, Alaska at the juxtaposition of two Arctic seas; the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. It is a region frequently traveled by the endangered bowhead whale. This project had its genesis in understanding why the region near Barrow, Alaska is a feeding hotspot for migrating bowhead whales. The whales and their prey will continue to be a focus of the team's interpretations. The research team conducted oceanographic sampling of the physical and biological marine environment in the region over the period 2005-2011 and observed significant inter-annual variability. Long-term studies of the ocean conditions in the Arctic are needed in order to understand how these environments vary inter-annually. The research team will continue to document conditions in the biological-physical ocean ecosystem, through annual boat-based surveys, in order to predict and understand potential impacts of climate change on the Arctic ecosystem.

Where Are They?

Bowhead whale jawbones on the beach in Barrow, Alaska
The research team traveled by plane to Barrow, a small community of approximately 4,500 people on the north coast of Alaska. As weather permitted, the team embarked on oceanographic sampling trips on board the 50-foot research vessel Ukpik. Activities on board included water and plankton sampling and measurements of conductivity, temperature, and depth. They also noted the occurrences of marine mammals and conducted preliminary sample processing on board. When the weather was too poor for ocean travel they spent time in Barrow cataloguing samples and organizing for future days on the water.

Expedition Resources

Overview
Students create a life size model of a bowhead whale based on information they have collected.
Objective
Students will be able to organize specific technical information from a variety of resources to develop a "blue print" or pattern to create a life size model of a bowhead whale.
Procedure
Introduction to project, student research on whale characteristics from provided sources,...

Overview
Students complete a physical puzzle based on a scientific poster about Bowhead Whales. Students then research the content of the poster and present their findings.
Objective
To familiarize students with:
the scientific method
real polar scientific posters
real polar scientific research
real polar scientific terminology
real polar scientific technology
real polar scientific data
real...

Overview
This lesson was written for a Photography I course, to be taught in a lab with access to either a darkroom or computers/printers. The class has already spent ample time getting used to the basics of photography, learning to use their cameras as a creative tool, just as a painter might use a brush. This lesson could easily be modified to work in a non-photography class, by removing the...

Overview
In this introductory lesson, students read an article about Arctic Ocean ecosystems and then play a board game in which they take on the role of researchers.
Objectives
The purpose of this introductory activity is to:
Identify the main components of complex arctic ecosystem and describe predator/prey relationships between phytoplankton, ice algae, zooplankton, bowhead whales, polar...

Overview
Students are designated as the water or ocean currents, zooplankton, and bowhead whales. The zooplankton are informed that they are at the mercy of the currents. The currents are given instructions as to where to go during different times of the year (map). The whale pod is told that they need to breathe (raise hands above head to indicate surfacing) and eat (stay close to zooplankton...

This one hour webinar with PolarTREC teacher Lisa Seff shares ideas and experiences on bringing polar science into your classroom and community. Her work focuses on the oceanographic conditions of bowhead whale habitat.

This one hour webinar is designed for educators as polar professional development. Dr. Okkonen details his work on the project studying bowhead whales and oceanographic conditions in their environment.

Overview
In part two of this two-part lesson students work in pairs to explore the effects of temperature on ocean stratiﬁcation using a simple plastic shoebox-sized container in which they create a mini-ocean environment. Students will apply what they learn in the lab setting along with information gained in several online articles to a basic understanding of the Global Conveyor Belt and it's...

Overview
In part one of this two-part lesson students work in pairs to explore the effects of salinity on ocean stratiﬁcation using a simple plastic shoebox-sized container in which they create a mini-ocean environment. Students will apply what they learn in the lab setting along with information gained in several online articles to a basic understanding of the Global Conveyor Belt and its...

Journals

Meet the Team

Lisa has enjoyed teaching at Springs School, located in East Hampton New York, for the past 17 years where she also lives with her husband Gary. Her teaching certifications include biology, earth science, general science and elementary education and she recently earned her National Board Teacher Certification in Early Adolescent Science. In 2012 Lisa became a PolarTREC educator joining Dr. Carin Ashjian, Dr. Robert Campbell and Dr. Steve Okkonen in Barrow Alaska. While there they studied the physical and biological oceanographic conditions of the bowhead whale habitat. This year she's very excited to reconnect the Springs community with the research team on a new and exciting Arctic-based research project in the Beaufort Sea!

Dr. Carin Ashjian studies marine biology and ecology with a special interest in the ecology of zooplankton in the Polar Regions, as these ecosystems may be significantly impacted by climate change. Her studies have taken her to both the Arctic and the Antarctic. For eleven years, she worked near Utqiaġvik/Barrow AK using a research vessel to study how and why this region is a feeding hotspot for bowhead whales during their fall migration from Canada to the Bering Sea. She also has worked from much larger research vessels, the USCGC Healy and the R/V SIkuliaq, to study zooplankton in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas. Past research has taken her to the Sea of Japan, the Norwegian Sea, Georges Bank, the Gulf Stream, and the California Current. She is a Senior Scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution where she has worked since 1995.

This site is supported by the National Science Foundation under award 0956825.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this site are those of the PIs and coordinating team and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.